Section: Follow-up
Optimal treatment for your pet requires a combination of home and professional veterinary care. Follow-up can be critical, especially if your pet does not rapidly improve.
Dogs should be closely monitored, as pneumonia and/or dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea in the acute phase could debilitate an animal quickly.
Administer all prescribed medication as directed. Alert your veterinarian if you are experiencing problems treating your pet.
Depending on the circumstances, distemper may range from a subclinical infection (having no clinical signs) to a fatal infection. Death may occur from two weeks to three months post-infection.
Euthanasia may be recommended for dogs with severe, unresponsive pneumonia, debilitating myoclonus, paralysis or inability to walk, unrelenting vomiting or diarrhea, or seizures.
Recovered dogs are not carriers of infection, and usually have good immunity against the disease.
